Surface decorating mechanism



Oct. 17, 1939. L. v. CASTO El AL 2,175,052

SURFACE DECORATING MECHANISM Original Filed Nov. 2, 1936 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 il J z yuwom n g BY 7 dam/mm? ATTORNEY;-

SURFACE DECORATING MECHANI SI Original Filed Nov. 2, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M 2 M new?" H4 BY 9 ,114, /mbi flmu ATTORNEYA' Patented Oct. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SURFACE DECORATING MECHANISM Original application November 2, 1936, Serial No. 108,698. Divided and this application July 27, 1937, Serial No. 155,954 4 7 Claims.

This application relates to a surface decorating mechanism and more particularly to a masking method and device for use in connection with surface decorating machines, such as printing machines and the like. The present application is a continuation in part of a copending application, Serial No. 38,358, filed August 29, 1935, now Patent No. 2,096,730, and a division of a copending application, Serial No. 108,698, now Patent No. 2,096,731,1iled by Lloyd V. Casto et al., November 2, 1936, and assigned to the assignee of the present application.

The masking mechanism of this invention is especially adapted for use in connection with the decoration of continuous surfaces, such as frames, and the like.

The general object of the present invention is the provision of a method and apparatus for the decoration of frames and the like, in such a manner as to prevent all gaps or overlaps of the applied decorating coating.

Another object. of the present invention is to provide a decorating mechanism which will effectively apply decorative coating to an article of manufacture, so that the application of the design may be started and ended at a predetermined point on the work surface.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a masking device or mechanism to enable the application of a design to a predetermined point in the work and the continuation of such application across the work to the point of beginning, without causing any overlap or gap between the start and finish of the applied design.

Other objects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which show a preferred form of mechanism for carrying out the invention. The essential features of the invention will be summarized in the claims.

The masking mechanism of this invention has been illustrated in the drawings, as applied to a decorating machine of the type illustrated and claimed in the copending applications heretofore referred to. Such decorating mechanisms are especially adapted for the application of decorative coating to metallic frames, such as sheetmetal automotive vehicle window frames. However, it will become obvious that the present invention may be used in connection with other types of decorating mechanisms and on various types and shapes of articles of manufacture.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a surface-decorating machine, constructed in accordance with the applications heretofore referred to, and incorporating the present invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, through the machine of Fig. 1, illustrating the present invention in plan view, the plane of the section being generally indicated by the lines 22 of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional details on a greatly enlarged scale, the plane of the sections being indicated by the lines 33 and 4-4 on Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a simplified form of masking device; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section, through the simplified form of the device, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 6-4 on Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a sectional detail, the plane of the section being indicated by the line on Fig. 5.

The masking device with which the present invention is concerned is especially adapted to be used in a mechanism of the type shown in the copending application heretofore referred to. Such mechanism is shown in Fig. 1, and for a complete description of this mechanism reference may be had to such copending application. Brief- 1y, this mechanism comprises a main frame l0,

having an upstanding pedestal II, to which-is secured a horizontally extending arm I2 overhanging a table 14 carried by the frame Ill. Depending from the arm I2 is a decorating unit adapted and arranged to apply a design in color to the work supported on the table.-

The decorating unit includes a roller l5 about which a transfer belt I6 is looped. The design in color is applied to the transfer belt from a pattern roll, not shown, but which is supported by a shaft indicated at ll. It is to be noted, from Figs. 1 and 4, that the roller I5 is hour-glass shaped, to substantially conform to a workpiece W, which is positioned on a workholder 20.

The mechanism is so arranged that a frame, such as that indicated at W in Fig. 2, may be po sitioned on the workholder 20 and a decorative coating or design applied thereto by a relative rolling movement between the work and the transfer belt I6. To facilitate such movement, the frame and workholder are mounted to slide as a unit on the table.

As indicated in the drawings, and especially in Fig. 3, the workholder is provided with a rack 21 and a guiderail 22, which coact respectively with a gear 23 and a roller 24 mounted on a vertically extending shaft 25, suitably journalled in the frame of the machine. A second roller 26, mounted on a shaft 21, coacts with an external guiding surface 28'of the workholder. Thus, as

the workholder is progressed by the action of the gear 24, the workholder and work will swing as a unit about the surface of the table I. The forward edge of the workholder is held in engagement with an abutment member 28a, by a flexible belt 29, which is frictionally and resiliently maintained in contact with that portion of the workholder remote from the gear 23 and abutment 28a, by a tension spring 30.

The gear 23 which progresses the workholder, as well as the roll |5 which supports the workengaging end of the offset printing belt l6, are driven by a motor M. This motor is connected by a driving belt 3|, with a gear reduction unit 32, the driving shaft of which is connected by a chain 33, and gearing 34 with a pinion 35, which is drivingly connected with the roll IS. The gear reduction unit 32 is also connected, by a driving chain 40, with a shaft 4|, which, through the means of a clutch member 42, maybe conditioned to selectively drive gears 36, one of which is shown in Fig. 1, as being drivingly secured to the shaft 25, which supports the workholder driving gear 23. Thus the workholder and decounit may be driven in synchronization tch other.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that as the gear 24 rotates in the direction of the arrow, the workholder, together with the work W carried thereby, will be shifted from the position indicated at W3 through the positions indicated at WI and W2, back to the position indicated at W3, thus causing the decorating member to apply a design in color to the entire surface of the work or frame W supported by the workholder.

To facilitate the removal of the work from the workholder 20, the decorating unit is movable toward and from the workholder and reference may be had to the pending applications heretofore referred to for a complete and detailed description of the mechanism for accomplishing this. Suflice it here to say that the decorating unit is slidably mounted in guideways 80 carried by the overhanging arm l2 of the frame. A handwheel 8| is provided, which is suitably connected to the decorating unit to enable the operator to 'shift the unit in the guideways 80 to the desired position.

The mechanism described above is described, illustrated and claimed in the copending applications heretofore referred to.

The present invention is especially concerned with a masking device, so arranged as to enable the decorating apparatus to emciently apply a decorative coating to the work in such a manner that there will be no perceptible joint in the applied design or pattern at any part of the work, and in such a manner that any unevenness in the work may be compensated for during the decorating process. This is accomplished by preventing either a gap or overlap between the point at the beginning and end of the application of the design in the work.

As shown in the drawings, the improved masking device comprises two sheet-metal mask members 50. In Figs. 5 and 6 these members are shown as hinged to the work-supporting frame, as on a pin 52. The masks 50 and 5| are shaped substantially complementary to the work W, to enable them to overlie the work for the full transverse extent of the surface to be decorated. The masks 50 and 5| are each provided with a handle 54 by means of which they swing manually into active and inactive positions. The mask 50, is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, as being in an active position, while the mask BI is shown as being in an inactive position.

Lengthwise of the work, the cross-section of the masks may be as illustrated in Fig. '7, wherein it will be noted that only the down-turned edges 56 of the masks contact with the work, and provide a ramp for the decorating or transfer member (transfer belt 30 or the like), to ride on or off the respective edges of the masks.

In operation, one mask, such as, for instance, the mask 50 in Fig. 5, is lowered into contact with the work, and the transfer member is brought into engagement with such mask, transferring the design to the work only after movement of the workholder has carried the work surface into contact with the transfer member. As the decoration progresses, the mask 50 is swung back out of engagement with the work to an inactive position. Before the end of the decoration operation, the mask 5| is swung down over the decorated surface, namely, that portion of the work surface to which the decoration was first applied, so that the transfer member cannot repeat its operation on any of such previously decorated surface which is now covered by the mask 5|. Continued progress of the workholder brings the transfer member into contact with the mask 5| which overlies the previously decorated surface. While the transfer member is in engagement with the mask 5|, it is moved away from the work. The decoration is now complete and the work ready for removal from the workholder.

The masks are, of course, in substantial edgeto-edge contact, so that at the most only an extremely thin line of demarkation is apparent when the operation is started and stopped, so far as the work surface is concerned.- The mask may be two or three inches wide (i. e. lengthwise of the work). In some cases a single mask may be mounted on the workholder, as on a slide, so that it may be slid along the work from the active position of the mask 50 to the active position of the mask 5|, thus functioning,as do the two masks 50 and 5|.

The form of mask devices just described is arranged to be operated manually. In the preferred form of masking device, shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the masks are arranged to be operated automatically, consequent upon the travel of the work decorating unit. In this instance, however, it will be noted that the masks 50a and 5|a are mounted on independent pivot shafts 60 and 6|, respectively, which are journalled in arms 62 secured to the workholder 20. Drivingly secured to the shaft 60 is a pinion 63, which meshes with a pinion 64, secured to the shaft 6|. Also secured to the shaft 6| is a pinion 65, which is engaged by an arcuate rack or segment 66 pivotally secured as at 61 to the mounting member 62 and provided with a handle 68. The arrangement is such that when the handle 68 is moved from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, to the dotted line position of Fig. 4, the mask 50a will be swung out of contact with the work and the mask 5| a moved into contact with the work.

In the operation of this preferred form of masking mechanism, the operator moves the handle 68 to an intermediate position, swinging the masks into the positions indicated by t e dotted lines 50a and Slain Fig. 3, thus enabling a workpiece W to be mounted on the workholder. The operator, then lowers the handle 68, swinging the mask 50a into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3. The mask 50a thus contacts with the work, whereupon the decorating mechanism is set in operation, the transfer member coming first into contact with the mask 50a, and as the work progresses, moving off of the mask onto the work, thuscommencing the actual decoration of the work at a predetermined point on the work surface. As the workholder shifts during the decoration of the work, to the position indicated in the dotted lines W3 on Fig. 2', the handle or operating arm 68 of the masking device is engaged by a cam Ill, mounted on the bar 28a. This cam is sloped so that it moves the handle from the dotted line, shown in Fig. 4, to the full line position shown in such Figure. This movement of the operating arm raises the mask 50a out of engagement with the work and brings the mask 5 la into engagement with the work. As the work progresses the transfer member rides off of the work and onto the mask 5l'a, whereupon the operator causes the decorating mechanism to be moved out of contact with the work before the work has progressed a distance sufflcient .to bring the mask out from beneath such decorating mechanism.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that there has been provided a simple device, by means of which the transfer design may be begun at a definite line and completed at the same definite line,leaving substantially no gap or overlap of the design on the work, thus eliminating retouching manually operations and insuring an accurate transfer of the design to the work.

Weclaim:

1. The method of decorating an article having an annular continuous surface to be decorated by imprint, comprising concealing a portion of the work surface so as to start the imprint at a deflnite line or point adjacent the concealed surface,

continuously imprinting the surface by rolling contact with the same, and finally concealing the imprinted surface first decorated adjacent such line or point, whereby the imprinting stops at such line or point.

2. The method of decorating an article having an annular continuous surface to be decorated by imprint, comprising concealing a portion of the work surface so as to start the imprint at a definite line or point adjacent the concealed surface, continuousiy imprinting the surface byrolling contact of 1 the same, concealing the imprinted surface first decorated adjacent such line or point, without interrupting the progress of the decorating operation, whereby the imprinting stops at such line or point.

3. In a decorating apparatus of the class described, a work supporting frame, a pair of masks mounted on the frame for movement respectively to active and inactive position relative to the work to be decorated, while on said frame, said masks being disposedside by side and having edges terminating respectively substantially at the same place when in active position, whereby decorative treatment may be effected continuously by rolling contact beginning and ending substantially at such point, and means to simultaneously-move one mask into contact with the wori and the other mask out of contact with the wor therewith, whereby the decoration may begin andend at the same point.

5. In a decorating machine, a frame, a workholder movably supported on said frame, a pair of masks pivotally mounted on said workholder for movement respectively to active and inactive positions relative to the work to be decorated, said masks being disposed side by side and having edges terminating respectively at the same place when in active position, decorating means to apply a design-in color to the work by rolling contact therewith, gearing interconnecting said masks and a segmental gear pivotally connected to said workholder and operative on said first-named gearing to move one mask into contact with the work and the other mask out of contact therewith, whereby the decoration may begin andend --at the same point, and means carried by said frame to operate said segment to move said masks during the movement of said workholder relative to said frame.

6. In a work decorating machine, a frame, a workholder slidably supported on said frame, means to slide said workholder, decorating means to apply a decoration to a workpiece carried by said workholder while the workholder is moving on said frame, a pair of shafts journalled on said workholder, gears interconnecting said shafts, masks carried by respective shafts, said gears being arranged to move either mask out of contact with the work and simultaneously move the other mask into contact with the work, a segmental gear carried by said workholder and having an operating arm, a cam carried by said frame in the path of said arm and operative to actuate said segment to change the positions of said masks while the workholder is sliding on said frame and without interrupting the operation of said decorating means, whereby the decoration may begin and end at the same point.

7. In a work decorating apparatus for decorating articles having annular continuous surfaces to be decorated, decorating means to decorate such surfaces by rolling contact therewith, means to conceal a portion of the work surface. means to bring said decorating means into contact with said concealing means, whereby the imprint will be started at a definite line or point adjacent the concealed surface, and means to conceal the im- LLOYD V. CASTO. GUIDO VON WEBERN. EDWARD WIILIAM HAMANT. 

